Shattered Glass
by Gage39
Summary: Shattered Glass AU. Armada. A series of one-shots centered mostly on the good Decepticons (mainly Starscream) and might contain one or two of the evil Autobots.
1. Nightmares

Shattered Glass

Chapter 1: Nightmares

Megatron walked through the hallways of the Decepticon base, trying to keep silent as he made his rounds. It was night and almost everyone was recharging except for him and most likely his Second-In-Command. Starscream had a habit of avoiding recharge for as long as possible until he would simply crash wherever he happened to be at the time. It was yet another thing Megatron blamed the Autobots for, along with the Seeker's fear of touch and being around too many bots. Hoping that he would find the Seeker in his own room and not in the laboratory bent over bubbling chemicals (but not daring to hold his intakes) Megatron was pleasantly surprised when he opened Starscream's door and caught sight of the red and white Seeker curled into a ball on his berth. The brief happiness evaporated, however, when he realized that the slender frame was trembling and an occasional half-sob reached his audio sensors. Megatron sighed heavily then hesitantly entered the room, the door automatically closing behind him.

The Seeker's quarters were among the biggest in the entire army; bigger even than Megatron's. But, considering the fact that he was raising three human children and seven mini-Cons, no one really minded. Fortunately, the doors to the children's quarters were closed, meaning that they hadn't been disturbed yet. Good. Starscream hated it when he worried the little ones and was more likely to accept comfort when they weren't watching. Megatron crossed the room and simply stared down at his Second for a few seconds then reached out a servo and gently touched an arm. The Seeker froze and immediately fell silent, meaning that he had turned his vocalizer off. Joy. It was going to be one of _those_ dreams. It was bad enough when Starscream began reliving the beatings that he had received but when his processor decided to take a detour into the darker, more _intimate_ memories then one had to be very careful when proceeding forward. Megatron continued stroking the arm gently and softly began to hum an ancient Seeker lullaby that Starscream often sang to the kids when they had nightmares or didn't want to sleep. He was pleased to see the trembling lesson and took that as his cue to sit down on the berth, moving his hand to Starscream's helm. He would have preferred to stroke the wings, knowing that the Seeker would respond faster but it would most likely be interpreted as a sexual advance and that was so _not_ the direction Megatron intended for this to go. Their relationship was more of a father/son one than sexual. In fact Megatron highly doubted that the Seeker would ever form a relationship of that sort with anyone now. Although there were rumors about his Trinemates but Megatron was inclined to dismiss those as nothing more than gossip and he made sure that everyone knew that. The last thing Starscream needed was for rumors of that sort to filter back into his audio receptors or, worse, the delicate ears of his younglings.

Starscream chose that moment to sigh contentedly as he nuzzled Megatron's hand then fell further into recharge. The Decepticon leader smiled down at the now peaceful Seeker and pondered whether or not it was safe to remove his hand but decided against it. He wasn't willing to risk another nightmare, not after he had gone to all that trouble to calm his Second down. So he sighed and wriggled his way into a more comfortable position as he prepared to stay up and keep watch. His own recharge could wait until later, after Starscream had gotten his fill. And then, he decided, he would have to take the Autobots down once and for all. Yes, they certainly had to pay for doing this to Starscream.

"Till all are one," he whispered.

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A/N: So what do you think? I decided to do a Shattered Glass version of Armada where the Decepticons are good and the Autobots are evil. I would like to state that I have never read Shattered Glass and, unless I'm extremely lucky, probably never will since it is impossible to find! Just a note; I didn't change any of the color schemes simply because I like Starscream's Armada paint best of all and those orange optics…

Please read and review! And all suggestions are welcome, thank you.


	2. The Kids

Shattered Glass

Chapter 2: The Kids

As the oldest (Rad had been five when it happened) he was the only one who remembered the fact that their parents had been flesh and blood people, not a giant alien robot that happened to turn into a jet. That wasn't to say that he didn't love Starscream because he did but he could still remember (albeit very faintly now and only as flashes in a dream) that a long time ago robots had killed their parents. He wasn't sure why they had all been at the same house but decided that it was probably a play date of some sort. His vague recollections included the sound of his parents screaming as giant robots, led by a blue and red one that towered over the rest, paraded down the streets, shooting randomly at houses and stepping on cars. Then more robots showed up but they seemed different. Their leader had started attacking the bad robots while his warriors took to the air. The battle had raged fiercely for several hours until, finally, the first robots fled, leaving only the newer arrivals.

Rad had done his best to protect Alexis and Carlos; crouching in front of them and waving his padded whiffle bat at the red and white robot who simply laughed as he pulled the splintered remains of the ceiling off. Three miniature robots had entered the house then, saying nothing as they picked up the three toddlers and carried them outside where they presented their burdens to the red and white one.

"What do you have there, Starscream?" the leader asked in amusement.

"Organic younglings," Starscream replied, his raspy voice surprisingly gentle as he knelt down to take a better look at them.

"Where are their parental units?"

Starscream didn't answer but his orange eyes swept over the ruined wreck of the house before turning back to his leader.

"I see," the bigger robot frowned in consternation.

"Can I keep them, Lord Megatron?" Starscream asked eagerly, one giant finger poking cautiously at Rad's belly.

"And what exactly do you plan on doing with them?" Megatron asked.

"I'm not scared of you," Rad declared defiantly as he hit Starscream with his whiffle bat.

"Why raise them of course," Starscream blinked as he pulled his hand back.

"Very well," Megatron sighed heavily. "You may keep them."

That had happened almost eight years ago and the humans had stayed with the Decepticons ever since then. Rad had to give Starscream credit; the jet really had done his best to raise the three of them despite his knowing next to nothing about humans. The mini-Cons had done a lot too; mainly helping the kids get dressed, going down to Earth to retrieve human food for them and even learning how to tie shoelaces. Starscream sang Seeker lullabies to them at night and even taught them how to speak his native Seeker-cant which was similar enough to the mini-Cons language that the kids could communicate much better with their guardians. He told them stories about Cybertron and of times before the war had started and, when the kids had gotten older, answered their questions truthfully about their true parentage.

Rad did his best to be difficult; he made sure that Starscream knew he wasn't Rad's 'Creator' and that Rad would never consider him to be such. The jet took it all in stride though and continued smiling and kept his voice low and gentle so as not to scare the young boy. There's no telling how long they would have played that game if the Autobots hadn't intervened; again. Starscream was captured while on a mission and for several long days they anxiously awaited news of their adopted Creator before Cyclonus finally returned from a scouting mission with news that they had finally located him. The relief that swept through the kids was short-lived when the Decepticons returned, Megatron carrying a battered red and white frame in his arms as they went straight to the Med-Bay. It was another two days before they were allowed to see him and even then Rad wished that they hadn't. Starscream was covered in an assortment of welds and bandages as he shook ever so slightly although he smiled when he saw them.

"Are you okay, Creator?" Rad asked fearfully even as he belatedly realized what he had just said.

Starscream smiled broadly at them and said, "I am now."

Things weren't perfect between them and they never would be but that was okay because that was how families worked.

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A/N: So what did you think? Please read and review and throw in suggestions! Also I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a little…childish but it was written from a child's POV.


	3. Soundwave

Shattered Glass

Chapter 3: Soundwave

Officially Soundwave's title was: Third in Command/Communications Officer. Unofficially it was 'therapist'. Since his abilities allowed him to tap into another mech's consciousness it was infinitely easier for him to diagnose mental problems far easier than the other therapists such as Cyclonus. Unfortunately that also meant the Decepticons were far more likely to come to him for a quick fix instead of going to bots that were actually _qualified_ to do the job. So when Megatron asked for a private meeting Soundwave wasn't necessarily surprised. But what he was surprised by was his leader's request.

"You want me to do what?" Soundwave was grateful for the mask that hid his face so no one could see the look of absolute shock.

"I want you to counsel Starscream," Megatron repeated, his lips twitching in a smile.

"Why me?" Soundwave was normally very laid back, taking things in stride. But this? Counseling Starscream of all mechs? Had Megatron finally lost his processor?

"Because Starscream trusts you," Megatron replied simply.

That quickly shot down all of Soundwave's protests. Because what else could he say? Starscream's trust was limited to only a select few and even then that trust was still measured out carefully and withheld at times.

"Just see if he'll talk to you," Megatron pleaded. "He refuses to tell me anything and whenever I try to talk to him about it he runs off."

"Ya can't force Star of all mech's to talk," Soundwave sighed. "But I will do my best."

"Thanks, Soundwave," Megatron said gratefully.

It took only ten minutes to locate the scientist but, since he was occupied with telling the children stories, Soundwave thought it best not to bother them. After all, Starscream had so little time to spend with the kids these days that Soundwave just hated to deprive the little family of their quality time. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he didn't want to have this talk in the first place. Nope, nothing whatsoever.

So Soundwave waited until the kids had gone to bed before knocking at the door. "Star, it's Soundwave. You busy?"

The door slid open and Starscream regarded him with no small amount of amusement on his faceplate. "You obviously know the answer to that question since you've been out there for a while."

"Sorry," Soundwave shrugged apologetically. "Can I come in?"

"I suppose," Starscream said neutrally as he stepped back and allowed the Communications Officer access.

Soundwave entered and sat down on the couch, hoping to put the scientist at ease.

"So who sent you?" Starscream asked as he sat in the chair, his legs crossed.

"The big kahuna," Soundwave saw no reason to lie; Starscream was extremely intelligent and could easily deduce that Soundwave had been coerced into coming. "But I would've dropped on by sooner or later," he added hastily. No need to make Star feel like Soundwave didn't care about his buddy.

"I see," Starscream's voice was cold and his optics narrowed. "So everyone in the base is worried that I'm going to have another nervous breakdown, is that it?"

Well, slag. This just wasn't working out the way it was supposed to. Soundwave quickly set about rectifying the perceived insults. "No that's not it at all, Star," he said soothingly. "I mean, yeah we're worried but that's just cuz you're our buddy. It's not good for you to keep all that hurt bottled up inside. That's why you had that 'incident' two million years ago."

This was not the first time the Autobots had captured Starscream and forced him to suffer horrible atrocities but every time they did something inside the mech broke. Although it wouldn't exactly be a lie to say that every bot was holding their intakes, waiting for Starscream to finally take that final plunge into insanity; a fall so great that he could never return. Soundwave highly suspected that the only things keeping him from that even now were his determination to destroy the Autobots and the kids. They really had been good for him.

Thankfully Starscream appeared slightly mollified and relaxed ever so slightly. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Anything really," Soundwave replied easily. "There anything in particular bothering you?"

Starscream considered then shook his helm. "Just the usual," he said. "Nightmares and some processor glitches but nothing new."

It truly was sad that Starscream was now used to all that, Soundwave sighed internally. "Do you mind if I take a look see?"

"I suppose not," Starscream moved to sit next to Soundwave and tensed as the other bot placed his servos on his processor.

"Relax, Star, this won't hurt a bit."

After Soundwave had finished with his investigation he retreated back to his own quarters, leaving Star in peace while he pondered over what to do. All it would take now was one tiny little push and Starscream would be lost to them forever, stuck in his own processor, forced to relive events that shouldn't have been lived through once let alone twice. He _should_ tell Megatron that the Seeker needed to be removed from active duty and locked in his quarters for several years but couldn't quite force himself to do it. Star would never fully recover from his ordeal but if he could take down even one of the Autobots that had harmed him…well a little vindication never hurt anyone.

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A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please read and review! I've been working on my writing style and I think this one is better. And to whoever mentioned the prose stories thanks but I can't find them. Hopefully the comic book store can though. Catch ya later!

Oh and if you liked this story then please check out my other one; 'The Re-Creation of Starscream'. It's not an SG fic but maybe someone will like it. Thanks again!


	4. Unlikely

Shattered Glass

Chapter 4: Unlikely

Cyclonus and Demolisher were the most unlikely couple in Decepticon history. They had met long before the war; Cyclonus was just starting his psychology classes at school and Demolisher was one of the handymen doing repairs on a nearby classroom. It wasn't exactly love at first sight (at least not for Demolisher) and it took Cyclonus almost two years before the tank would agree to go out with him. Of course once they had started dating they were inseparable. By the time Cyclonus had graduated with honors they were bonded and were quite happy living in Demolisher's small apartment.

It was a no-brainer joining the Decepticons; Cyclonus had once attended a lecture that Megatron had given at the university and Demolisher would follow his bondmate wherever he went.

Once the Decepticon army had grown Cyclonus had found himself utilizing his former talents to the fullest as their therapist. Of course he had to get Demolisher to help drag some of his patients to their appointments but the weapons specialist didn't seem to mind in the least little bit. Although getting Starscream there required a more…creative touch but as long as the Seeker would occasionally show up no one really cared.

Things had become rather routine when Starscream (who else?) decided to shake up things by returning with three organic sparklings. Cyclonus was suddenly bombarded by several of the other mechs who decided that they wanted to know all about humans and thought that he had all the answers. The fact that he seemed to have been elected their number one babysitter didn't help matters any.

They had discussed the possibility of having sparklings but then the war had started and personal things had to be put on the backburner. However, with Starscream's little 'additions' those desires were being brought to the forefront once again. Logically, they knew that it would be for the best if they waited until after the Autobots had been destroyed but still. Demolisher couldn't help but think what it would be like to teach a little one how to shoot a weapon and Cyclonus longed to cradle the small body next to his chassis as he sang lullabies to it.

An unexpected opportunity presented itself in the form of Wheeljack's experiment going awry. Somehow the engineer had managed to blow up the warp gate (by accident of course) while the newly arrived Dinobots were traveling through it. The resulting explosion had left the five Decepticons as tiny little sparklings and Wheeljack with an overnight stay in the brig and several new dents in his head courtesy of Starscream.

With no idea how to return them to their adult selves Cyclonus and Demolisher quickly volunteered to raise them. Since no one else had been willing to take on the responsibility (Starscream and Soundwave had been excluded by they already had sparklings) Megatron was more than happy to relinquish control.

Losing the Dinobots from the frontlines did cause a bit of a quandary at first but Demolisher proved more than capable of making up their ferocity as he now had five sparklings and a bondmate to protect. The Autobots quickly learned to steer clear whenever he and Cyclonus both were on the battlefield; they had single-handedly ripped Smokescreen to shreds when he made the mistake of asking where the 'dino-rejects' were.

Of course there were times when the Dinobots proved to be a bit much and the two Decepticons were left wondering if they were making a big mistake but, all in all, they would never take it back. They loved their rambunctious, destructive little mechs and would do anything to protect them.

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A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a little short but I couldn't drag it out anymore. If the ending threw anyone for a loop then don't worry; I wasn't expecting the Dinobots either but they just showed up. Does anyone know their names? I know a few but I never really paid much attention. Thanks to whoever gave me the links to the 'Shattered Glass' prose stories; they were pretty good. Oh and none of my stories will be updated unless each new chapter gets at least one review. I understand that everyone is busy with work (I am too) but if you can take the time to read, favorite, and follow it then surely you can take two minutes to write a review. Thanks again! Please read and review!


	5. Traitors

Shattered Glass

Chapter 5: Traitors

There were many things that Wheeljack was proud of; creating the Dinobots, his work as a scientist for the Decepticons and saving Sideswipe's life. But his deepest shame was the knowledge that he had once been an Autobot and he could never forget that.

When Sideswipe joined the Autobots it had been out of a sense of naivety, of wanting to repay a debt. Blurr had saved his life once and so he followed the speedster to Earth. But not even Blurr's annoyance or watching in horror as his hero committed many unspeakable acts against the Decepticons could sway the young warrior's processor.

Optimus Prime proved to be the saving grace for both Autobots; he and every other mech had tired of Wheeljack's experiments so he devised a plan to rid them of the scientist. After an attack on an oil rig he and the other Autobots pulled out, leaving Wheeljack behind. Sideswipe, however, didn't retreat when ordered; instead he searched the building, desperately looking for his comrade. Ironically, Sideswipe himself wound up trapped under several falling beams, the flames growing hotter by the minute.

Thankfully, Wheeljack found him and was in the process of trying to rescue him when the Decepticons arrived. With their help it was only a matter of minutes before the two Autobots were standing outside, Wheeljack trying to patch up Sideswipe. It had taken some time but, eventually, the two Autobots found themselves joining the Decepticons.

It was a long and bumpy road, no doubt about that. Not everyone was as forgiving as Megatron and so the two Autobots tended to stick close together, forming a strong friendship. Eventually, though the others began to come around as well. Cyclonus (despite his tendency to burst into maniacal laughter at random) was actually a very good therapist and even managed to make Sideswipe understand that just because Blurr had saved his life once didn't make him in any way obligated to the speedster.

Wheeljack and Starscream soon found that they worked well together and, with the Seeker's help, Wheeljack even managed to cut down on the explosions in his lab; something that proved to be most beneficial when they began working on the Dinobots. Both scientists had virtually burst with pride once the Dinobots were complete even though Megatron was understandably wary of the beasts.

Sideswipe managed to strike up a friendship with Demolisher who was more than happy to help the young warrior with his shooting skills. Sideswipe really wasn't good with weapons though and quickly discovered that he was better at healing people than shooting them. Hook didn't seem to mind the intrusion in his medbay especially since Wheeljack ended up there more than a few times.

Both were given a chance to prove themselves to their new comrades after Starscream was rescued from the Autobots. Sideswipe spent two long days helping Hook patch up the Seeker while Wheeljack worked on constructing new wings and an upgraded security system.

After witnessing their dedication to fixing the Second-in-Command the other Decepticons began to treat them better. Even Starscream relaxed enough to let them interact with his sparklings and for many that was the ultimate sign of trust. But, despite of all that, at the end of the day Wheeljack and Sideswipe were nothing more than Autobot traitors and they could never forget.

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A/N: Hope you guys liked! The next chapter won't be posted until tomorrow. Please read and review!


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